Psychoanalysis of the Joker
The Dark Knight is a 2008 film based on the Dc Comics character Batman and his struggle and journey in combating the most demented villain ever, The Joker. The Joker is a psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy. Due to The Joker’s insane nature, it is appropriate to use Dr. Sigmund Freud’s method of Psychoanalysis to better understand why The Joker is the way he is.
What is psychoanalysis? Psychoanalysis is a form of treatment invented by Sigmund Freud that usually focuses on the early years of the patient’s life and his/her relationship with immediate family members. A wise man once said, “There are four questions that every good student of psychology will ask about a personality theory. The first question regards the structure of the theory (Psychoanalysis of The Joker).Freud said that the mind is divided into conscious and unconscious elements. The unconscious contains all the repressed aspects of our personality. Although repressed, they continue to influence our behavior. According to Freud personality is divided into three components the id, the super ego, and the ego. Freud’s psychosexual stages and the Oedipus complex also affect our personality.
“The Joker is a pathological liar, with reactive attachment issues, scars he credits to either childhood abuse or self-mutilation (he contradicts himself in the movie) and presents with suicidal ideation” (Psychoanalysis of The Joker). To apply Freud’s theory of structure to The Joker, we must look at The Joker’s id, ego, and superego. The Joker relies only on his id, which is our instinctual needs, and/or drives. In one scene in the movie while Batman’s motorcycle is speeding directly to him The Joker actually walks toward him mumbling things like, “Do it!” and “hit me!” Clearly The Joker is missing a superego, which is ones conscience. In the move The Joker teases society and says they’re hypocritical and phony. “Sure, they’re all civilized when things go “according to
What is psychoanalysis? Psychoanalysis is a form of treatment invented by Sigmund Freud that usually focuses on the early years of the patient’s life and his/her relationship with immediate family members. A wise man once said, “There are four questions that every good student of psychology will ask about a personality theory. The first question regards the structure of the theory (Psychoanalysis of The Joker).Freud said that the mind is divided into conscious and unconscious elements. The unconscious contains all the repressed aspects of our personality. Although repressed, they continue to influence our behavior. According to Freud personality is divided into three components the id, the super ego, and the ego. Freud’s psychosexual stages and the Oedipus complex also affect our personality.
“The Joker is a pathological liar, with reactive attachment issues, scars he credits to either childhood abuse or self-mutilation (he contradicts himself in the movie) and presents with suicidal ideation” (Psychoanalysis of The Joker). To apply Freud’s theory of structure to The Joker, we must look at The Joker’s id, ego, and superego. The Joker relies only on his id, which is our instinctual needs, and/or drives. In one scene in the movie while Batman’s motorcycle is speeding directly to him The Joker actually walks toward him mumbling things like, “Do it!” and “hit me!” Clearly The Joker is missing a superego, which is ones conscience. In the move The Joker teases society and says they’re hypocritical and phony. “Sure, they’re all civilized when things go “according to